


Tell Me I'm Wonderful

by frozenCinders



Category: Shin Sangokumusou | Dynasty Warriors
Genre: M/M, Praise Kink, back rub
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 08:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16489109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: Zhong Hui has gotten other compliments before, he swears, and never reacted quite like this, never got so attached so quickly and easily. It's just that Jia Chong's praise, much like the rest of him, is relentless.





	Tell Me I'm Wonderful

**Author's Note:**

> to people who aren't familiar with my writing: i swear to god i never use italics THIS much, it must just be my shiji muse????
> 
> i'd also like to note that jia chong's praise is the absolutely tongue in cheek "i know what this does to you" kind

Zhong Hui has a problem. It all started when Jia Chong had noticed him on the battlefield and paid him a light, somehow amused compliment. Zhong Hui liked the sound of it and ended up sticking close to Jia Chong. That wouldn't be so odd, if he'd kept it to the battlefield, but-- and he swears it's a coincidence-- he keeps running into him in daily life as well and can never bring himself to keep those meetings fleeting when he can help it. It's only particularly noticeable that Zhong Hui enjoys Jia Chong's presence because he typically doesn't think much of driving people away, doesn't think much of spending time with anyone to begin with, but he chooses his words more carefully than ever around Jia Chong. The worst part is that Zhong Hui _knows_  that Jia Chong knows, if those amused, indulgent smiles are anything to go off of.

Just hanging around him and soaking up the praise Jia Chong seems to enjoy handing him was one thing, but now he's started taking things in a strange direction. He must have gotten bored of keeping all of his interactions with Zhong Hui either professional or purely positive, because recently he's been doing this thing where he sneaks up on Zhong Hui for no good reason just to suddenly touch him and make him jump. He hates it-- especially since it makes him seem like he's always off guard and easily spooked, when this is obviously just happening because Jia Chong intends for it to happen, and is also absolutely not because Zhong Hui is touch starved and gets shocked when he's touched for no reason.

At least he's gotten less jumpy since Jia Chong started doing that. If anything, this might be Jia Chong's special brand of eccentricity shining, in an attempt to sort of train Zhong Hui for his own good. He decides to think that's what it's about. Now if an enemy suddenly grabs him on the battlefield, he'll be more prepared than if Jia Chong had never tormented him like this.

The next time he does it, however, Zhong Hui really is off guard and he tenses harder than usual, to the point where it actually hurts.

"Ugh, why do you always do that?!" he complains in helpless frustration as he rubs at his sides. "It hurt that time, too!"

"Because your reactions are fun," Jia Chong replies as usual. "Are you so sensitive..?"

"It's not a matter of sensitivity! In any case, it's annoying! Every time, in fact!"

"Whatever shall I do?"

"Wipe that smile off your face already, for starters!"

Jia Chong just chuckles at him and Zhong Hui doesn't know why he doesn't hate the sound.

"No, you know what? You've been doing an excellent job lately. That was quite unappreciative of me, wasn't it? Maybe you deserve something as compensation," he offers, turning the situation around and making Zhong Hui feel oddly cornered, somehow. Or... small, perhaps, is how he feels.

"... Fine! If you want to make it up to me so badly, a back massage should be within your abilities."

He definitely hadn't expected Jia Chong to actually go along with it. He ignores his own screaming in the back of his mind as he leads Jia Chong to his room, takes his top off in front of him (when he _never_  gets undressed in front of anyone), lies down on his front, and even not only allows, but _invites_  Jia Chong to get on top of him. It's not strange at all, he tells himself. It's a back rub, this is all par for the course.

What does catch Zhong Hui by surprise is that Jia Chong is actually good at this. He's well aware that he's quite dexterous, but it hadn't really occurred to him that Jia Chong would be particularly good with his hands in aspects other than throwing and catching axes in the most terrifying manner possible.

... He really went and willingly exposed himself to a man like this, didn't he?

"Tell me why you enjoy being praised so much," Jia Chong says suddenly, interrupting a prolonged silence of Zhong Hui being lost in thought. His hands stop, too, resting gently on Zhong Hui's back.

He should have guessed Jia Chong had seen right through him from the start. Zhong Hui has no idea how to explain it, if he's honest, but he'll be damned if he'll show weakness to Jia Chong-- or anyone, for that matter.

"What are you talking about? Isn't it natural not to be opposed to such a thing?" he answers after feigning silent, annoyed confusion for a moment.

"It's more than a lack of opposition."

The way he says it with such confidence cuts Zhong Hui and he doesn't even really know why he's embarrassed.

"Fine. I deserve to be praised, and it's a great shame that hardly anybody ever seems to agree," he settles on, finding it true enough. "Now, did that satisfy you enough to get you to keep moving your hands?"

He's met with much more pressure than before as Jia Chong digs his thumbs into Zhong Hui's back, chuckling either at his words or the involuntary noise he made at that.

"Not like that!" Zhong Hui protests, although he doesn't dare try to squirm in case he just makes it worse.

"Do you have any idea how sad what you just said was?" Jia Chong asks, his amused tone greatly contrasting the implications of his words. "Poor thing."

"Are you making fun of me? I wish you'd stop that." He's much less indignant than when all this had started, but he's still as offended as ever.

"It's not my fault you're so fun to play with."

He resumes the somewhat gentle massage he'd been giving Zhong Hui before and allows silence to fill the room again. Zhong Hui breathes a satisfied sigh and closes his eyes, though he can practically feel the smarmy smile on Jia Chong's face and it makes him tense.

"There's hardly a point to this if you don't relax," Jia Chong tells him right away, and Zhong Hui suddenly realizes _exactly_  how exposed he is, how Jia Chong can literally _feel_  Zhong Hui's reactions without even needing to see his face. Not to mention the way he's straddling him, which suddenly feels more intimate than it was despite Jia Chong not having moved.

Oh god, he's completely at his mercy. He willingly put himself in this situation-- _asked_  for it, even-- and now this man Zhong Hui has been so confused about is seeing him more exposed than anyone ever has, in more ways than one. He mentally screams at himself, wishing he would have at least figured out his own feelings before asking for a back rub, of all things.

"You're only getting more tense," Jia Chong points out. "Are you trying to make this difficult?"

"I'm not... _trying_  to do anything. Maybe you should do a better job."

He barely keeps a squeak in this time when Jia Chong applies pressure again,  but he finds that, as much as it hurts, he actually quite likes it. He wills himself to relax, because he can do anything and is always ready to prove it, and immediately regrets it when the massage suddenly feels _incredibly_  good and a vulnerable moan escapes him. It wasn't even that loud, and maybe most people wouldn't notice, but Jia Chong isn't like most people, is he?

"That's a good boy. I like seeing you relax like this."

Zhong Hui jolts at his words, shocked by his own reaction to them. He makes another sound, curt but noticeable, and tries to pass it off by clearing his throat.

"It's like you're always saying; you deserve to be pampered like this, don't you?" Jia Chong continues, doubtlessly aware of what he's doing.

Zhong Hui wants to react how he normally would, _desperately_  wants to be able to just say, yes, that's right, you should be happy to serve me, honored to touch me, but the only words that occur to him are...

"Please... keep going..."

"So handy, and such a fast learner. You really are quite capable. We're lucky to have you."

Somehow, Zhong Hui craves a different type of compliment, but he has no idea how to steer Jia Chong in that direction. He gasps when he feels a hand leave his back to grab his chin. His head is already turned, but Jia Chong pulls him a little and makes Zhong Hui look at him.

"And so pretty, too," he says with a knowing smile, as if he could tell that was what Zhong Hui wanted.

Zhong Hui typically has mixed feelings about compliments like that. He rarely feels like basking in it because it's not anyone he cares for who ever calls him pretty-- hell, sometimes he'll even get annoyed that they would state the obvious like that as if he doesn't know. It's not at all common for him to get embarrassed, or to even really _feel_  the compliment, but Jia Chong manages to make him feel that way. He's been told he's beautiful by countless women and even a significant handful of men, some mocking and some in awe, but none of their words had ever meant anything to him. Not like this.

He's a little sad when Jia Chong releases his chin.

"You've gone quiet," he points out. "That's unusual for you."

Zhong Hui feels like he's at a crossroad of some kind, like how he responds will decide what direction their relationship will head towards. He can probably throw Jia Chong off of him right now and return their relationship to what it once was. The  knowledge of that possibility makes him anxious, which practically decides his course of action for him.

"I l--..." He doesn't talk about his feelings often, but damn if he won't try just to be able to hear more praise from Jia Chong. "I like you. I like when you, in particular, compliment me. When I'm around you, I feel... ugh, don't make me put it into words."

"A confession, hm? How cute."

"What? I'm answering your first question," Zhong Hui reminds, in case he forgot. "I don't... really know any more than that. About why I like being praised by you."

"Would you like me to analyze you? Give you an answer you didn't even think of?" Jia Chong offers, and Zhong Hui has to admit he's intrigued.

"You think you know me better than I know myself, then? Fine. Go ahead and try."

He doesn't know why he challenged him, since he already fully acknowledges how uncanny Jia Chong can be. He expects to hear horrible news about himself that he could never have thought of.

"You've fluffed yourself up, like a bird. Under all those feathers, though, it's easy to see how small and insecure you are. This praise is something you desperately need."

Small... that is how he feels, after all. Normally, he hates it. Despises it, really. He wants to be important. He deserves to be special, so he insists that he absolutely is to anyone who will listen-- and everyone else, too.

With Jia Chong, however, the feeling is different, somehow. It's like... normally, he feels unsafe and stressed out and tries so hard to feel significant-- because he _is_ , he's the chosen one, after all-- but it's almost like he _wants_  to feel small with Jia Chong. Like he wants to be held close to Jia Chong's chest and kept safe. Like he wants him to use that power of his, that reputation, those cold eyes, to ward off any potential threats from Zhong Hui before he can even become aware of them himself. Maybe he just wants to stay close to Jia Chong at all times and never miss a thing he says. Maybe he wants to share a bed with him so he never has to leave his arms, either.

Oh, fuck, that's romance. Oh, his feelings are romantic. _Oh_. That feeling of intimacy returns with a vengeance and Zhong Hui can feel his face heating up as well.

"Like a bird, you say? At... at least I don't mind birds. I was bracing for much worse," he babbles, because he has no idea how to defend himself here. "Anyway, that's, um... enough, I think. Of the back rub, I mean. You can get off of me now."

Again, Jia Chong is laughing at him and Zhong Hui is forced to acknowledge that he doesn't mind at all when it's him.

"You confessed to me earlier, in case you've forgotten," he says, and Zhong Hui bristles now that he's figured out how he feels. "If you like me so much, I'm sure you can allow me to finish giving you a proper massage."

Wait, what does he mean by that? Has he... not actually caught on yet? No, he grabbed Zhong Hui's chin and called him pretty. He must have been playing with him, knowing how he feels even before Zhong Hui quite knew. That's just like him. So then, this is just him messing with Zhong Hui because he's "fun to play with" again, isn't it?

"Whatever. If you're so keen to keep touching me, I guess I can allow it," he yields.

As determined as he feels to make sure he doesn't allow Jia Chong any more "fun" reactions, he really is damn good with his hands. This is more relaxed than Zhong Hui thinks he's ever felt. He closes his eyes for just a moment, he swears, but it's dark outside his window when he opens them again.

He fell asleep... It's gotten dark and he certainly can't feel Jia Chong on top of him anymore, so he fairly assumes he's gone. He sits up in a huff, annoyed that he fell asleep early and without getting ready for bed. He actually screams when a cool hand touches the back of his neck suddenly.

"I thought you'd left!" Zhong Hui shouts indignantly, getting only a typical giggle in response. The words "get out" occur to him but fail to make it past his lips for some reason.

"Did you want me to? Here I thought I'd get more complaining if I up and left, not less."

Maybe... maybe he's right. Zhong Hui only has to think about it for a second to ascertain that he would have been disappointed if Jia Chong had left. It would have given both of them the perfect excuse to pretend that all of this never happened, and, out of pride, Zhong Hui would most likely end up staying away from him from then on. Did Jia Chong see all that and decide to prevent it? Or, did he just want to surprise Zhong Hui again?

"... You can stay," he turns to see a smile, "but only if you keep those frozen hands away from my neck."

"No promises."

Of course.


End file.
